My Thoughts on Smoke Screen:
Wow. I love this author so I knew I was going to love this book but I didn’t expect it to be quite this good! The style it’s written in often makes me give upon a book if it’s not truly engaging. The back and forth tends to give me a headache when I’m just reading for pleasure.

But I definitely did not stop reading this book. In fact, I could not stop reading. I had to know what came next and how it ended!

Smoke Screen is captivating and definitely gives you a level of suspense. It’s not suspense where you can’t breathe but more of slow steady burning suspense that you know something is going to happen at any moment.

I think that I’d be like Brenna if I ever lost my children. I’d be in a sea of depression with no anchor and nowhere to turn. But lucky for her, Nate comes back to town at just the right time to help her navigate the divorce and child custody battles.

But what if this is more than just her fight for her children? What if this is a fight for her life? And what if it’s all somehow tied to one fateful day year ago?

Great read! Highly recommend this book. And it’s one I’m okay with reading when I’m home alone too so that’s always a good thing!

I have voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from Celebrate Lit. All views expressed are only my honest opinion. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. All opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC regulations.

Phew, in Smoke Screen, Terri Blackstock delivers a book filled with hurting and flawed people. Some are sabotaging themselves, some have paid for their (and others’ mistakes), and a few are given justice.

Even though I’ve never had any of Brenna’s issues, I sure empathized with her. Nate is just the kind of person she needs in her life. Someone who sees her value and strives to show it to her.

While the family drama and relationships take the front seat for the majority of the book, there are some crimes (old and new) that are slowly being solved as the story progresses too.

Disclosure statement:
I receive complimentary books from publishers, publicists, and/or authors, including NetGalley. I am not required to write positive reviews. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

Terri Blackstock long ago became one of my favorite authors to read. The way that she grabs the readers attention and pulls on their heartstrings with her characters and stories is like no other. I always feel completely involved with her characters. Smoke Screen is no exception to her lovely way of writing. I enjoyed this book so much and could not put it down once I started.

Brenna is a middle aged woman that is going through a rough time right now. Brenna's husband has left her for a younger woman and now she finds herself in the midst of an ugly custody case, fighting for her two children. All while Brenna is trying to deal with this, her family learns that the man accused of killing her father is getting a pardon and will be out of prison in no time.

Nate is a smoke jumper and when we meet him in the book, he is in the midst of fighting a huge wildfire and helps some stranded people get to a safe place. While Nate was helping these people, which turns out to be someone pretty important, he ends up getting second degree burns and is sidelined for awhile. Nate decides that since his dad has just gotten out of prison, he is going to go back home and heal there.

Nate and Brenna have a past and when Nate hears that she is living across the street from his brother where he will be staying while he is in town, he knows that he has to go over and see her. There is some tension between the two of them, but they are working through some of it. Nate is worried about Brenna though, he notices that she is drinking a lot. Nate puts it off to her going through a tough time right now, but she is drinking a lot.

There were so many ups and downs in this story for the characters. I was rooting for all of them to figure out their unanswered questions though. You will get caught up in this story and have to know how it all ends for everyone. Such a great read once again by Terri Blackstock!

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book and all opinions are my own. Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book!

It's another well-written novel from Terri Blackstock that is reminiscent of her Moonlighters series. It has intrigue regarding what may be considered "cold cases" from the past but the emphasis is more on the family drama and relationships as Brenna struggles through an ugly divorce and its aftermath and her old high school sweetheart returns to their hometown. There is a lot of backstory involved in Brenna and Nate's tumultuous high school relationship and the outcome of that past relationship collides with the present day happenings to bring some twists and turns to the plot. The heart-wrenching realities of divorce, alcoholism, wild fires, and desire for revenge are starkly real and the author digs deep into the emotion well to bring us close to the characters' hearts and motivations. These darker realities are balanced out by the growing affection between Brenna and Nate and lessons of faith and trust.

It's definitely not like the author's previous If I Run series in the intensity of suspense, but leans more toward her last book Catching Christmas in the intensity of emotion and shared human experience. If you enjoy contemporary fiction with a strong theme of overcoming adversity, you will enjoy this book. I received a copy of the book from Thomas Nelson via Celebrate Lit Tours and was under no obligation to post a positive review. All comments and opinions are solely my own.

What a story of lies, secrets, young love, murder, fire and convictions on circumstantial evidence! He said, she said, what the evidence pointed to… how do you prove your innocence when you can’t? Twists and turns that give you the evidence until you think you know who is guilty but do you really? Kept me guessing until the end!

I have read many Terri Blackstock books through the years. While many have tended to have themes of redemption, this one seems to take that concept to a whole new level. The main character is a mess at the beginning. Many of the reasons involve what was done against her. Yet the book is not focused on her being a victim. Instead the focus is on the steps that she needs to take to turn her life around. The same is true of many of the characters. This is a story about choices. Blame is a part, yet resorting to that is not glorified or excused. I think this is an extremely powerful Christian fiction because the lives of the characters are far from perfect. Yet God still helps them to write new chapters. One part I would change - the ending feels slightly rushed. So much time was spent on the development of the story, and I felt like some of those words should have gone toward a lengthier conclusion. While there was resolution, it almost felt forced. That being said, the book still needed a five star review in my opinion. Glad that I could read this book on #netgalley. All stated opinions are my own.

The few books by Terri Blackstock that I have read, I loved. This one is no exception, I really did enjoy this one. I was expecting this story to be like a thrilling suspense read, but Smoke Screen turned out to be more of a tense family drama than anything else.

The hero in this story has got to be my favorite character, while the heroine took me a bit to warm up to. The story touches on some real, tough issues all of which were well handled. I did see some of the twists coming from a ways off, which made some of the suspense dissipate a little bit.. Overall I did enjoy Smoke Screen and am still planning on reading more of Terri Blackstock's books.

Terri Blackstock delivers again! Smoke Screen was a carefully crafted novel with a very original feel. I adored the characters and the storyline had me hooked.

I cringed a lot reading this novel purely due to how awful Brenna’s life is, but that also meant I couldn’t put the book down. I was very skeptical of Nate when he entered her life, mostly with the timing, and I still feel like their relationship moved way too fast for someone who’d just gotten divorced, but, I was also simultaneously cheering them on. :) The double POV was done very well, with Nate and Brenna having very distinct voices.

I thought Brenna’s addiction was portrayed excellently, as well as her struggle in overcoming it and her desire to make things right. It sometimes feels like everything that can go wrong does for poor Brenna, and while it made for a difficult read, it also made for an incredible payoff. Brenna and Nate both were easy to emphathize with.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book (though, what Terri Blackstock book do I not enjoy?). It was an original, creative, pull-at-your-heartstrings story full of real struggle and an even more real God. 4.5 stars.

I loved learning about these special firefighters that fight by being dropped from planes in to the fires. Brenna and Nate each have many obstacles to overcome before they can help each other with there problems. Brenna May lose her children in a custody battle and Nate is trying to learn to forgive his father for many things that happened years before in his childhood. I did not want to put this book dow, I laughed and cried. I received a copy of this book from Celebratelit for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.

The author has once again done a masterful job of leaving you guessing throughout the whole book. I must admit I had decided the guilt lay with others before the actual perpetrator was discovered. Nate has been a Smoke Jumper for several years, in fact, he has his own crew to work with. The job of these professional Hotshots has much danger associated with it, but it is one that the world certainly cannot do without. While getting burned is not something that happens regularly, it can happen and the healing requires a great deal of patience.

Brenna is a single mother who is in an ugly custody battle. Unfortunately her faith, that has always been a strong point in her life, has left her with many doubts. Why is God out to get her? Why did He let her dad get murdered? Many questions but all seem to put the blame on God. But who created the distance? Once she realizes that this chasm is her own creation, she can start to bridge that gap. But will it be enough to maintain custody of her children?

I highly recommend this book! This ARC was received through Thomas Nelson, NetGalley and CelebrateLit. The comments and impressions are my own and were in no way solicited.

Smoke Screen by Terri Blackstock, turned out to be quite a different story than what I was expecting. To me, Ms. Blackstock's name is synonymous with great suspense novels. That fact is what drew me to this book.

While this story does involve suspense, it does not feel like that is the driving force of it.

Brenna was a character that I had a bit of difficulty liking. I felt extreme sympathy for her, though. Her husband had an affair, and then left her for a gorgeous young chick. Then he had the audacity to try and keep Brenna away from their kids.

Because of all this stress, Brenna turns to drinking. This book talks about drinking alcoholic beverages, imbibing, getting drunk, or whatever you want to call it, quite heavily. These actions are not some that I could really appreciate or keep feeling the same level of sympathy toward previously mentioned main character/heroine. I wanted to shake her and tell her to wake up and get on with the program.

Her young love, first boyfriend, Nate, is back in the picture, and their earlier relationship is what had caused so many bad things to happen earlier. So how is it a good idea for them to get involved again?!

In spite of all of this backstory drama, Nate & Brenna again begin to see each other.

They are trying to figure out what exactly happened so many years earlier, when Nate's dad is accused of murdering Brenna's dad. And who set fire to the church and burned it down, the fire that Nate has always been accused of setting.

These are the main questions that play into the suspense lines of this story. Intriguing, but not quite what I had hoped for. Most of the story deals with Brenna's trying to get custody back of her kids, dealing with her ex-husband, etc. It felt a bit predictable.

Saying all of this, while I did enjoy the story, I won't necessarily consider it a favorite. It definitely won't stop me from reading other stories by this author.

And just a warning...if you deal with triggers involving alcohol, or similar, you might not want to read this book.

Disclaimer: I receive complimentary books from various sources, including, publishers, publicists, authors, and/or NetGalley. I am not required to write a positive review, and have not received any compensation. The opinions shared here are my own entirely. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

I lost a lot of sleep because of this book. I really enjoyed it!!!

I so felt for Brenna. When it came to dealing with her kids being taken and her son with asthma and him not getting the treatment he needs I wanted to reach through the pages and shake her ex-husband. My son had some issues with asthma when he was small and it is a scary thing. My heart broke for them.

Nate was a great hero and even when it came to the determent of himself he put himself out there.

I will say I had a feeling who really killed Brenna father very early on, but that didn’t stop me from thoroughly enjoying the book.

I do have one little mistake that pulled me out of the book. One of the characters said she was getting a DVD of Frozen 2 to watch with her kids.It hasn’t even come out in theaters yet (November 22). So that oversight kind of bothered me and obviously has stuck with me.

But other than that I really loved this book.

A copy of this book was given to me through the Celebrate Lit Team. All opinions are my own.

This novel was a bit different from the romantic suspense I was expecting from Blackstock. The plot was more of a character study and really had no suspense. I had trouble liking Breanna, the lead female character. I do like characters to have flaws but Breanna's were a bit much. She lacked that hint of core strength in the midst of turmoil. And Nate was puzzling to me. He looked past all of Breanna's faults to love her yet could not see past his own father's hurt and disappointment to forgive him. Neither of the characters grabbed me.

The plot had some interesting aspects to it. I enjoyed learning about fighting forest fires. The conflict Breanna had with her ex-husband over custody of the children was the main thread through the plot. There was not much suspense involved there and the bit of mystery in the novel just sort of solved itself without much work.

This would be a novel for readers who enjoy a distraught female character coming to grips with her faults and a male character love struck enough to be by her side through the experience. Readers who are looking for the suspense Blackstock is known for will not find it here.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book through Celebrate Lit. My comments are an independent and honest review.

Old wounds are ripped open when several different events converge. Nate returns to his hometown to recover from wildfire injuries; his father, incarcerated for killing his girlfriend’s father fourteen years ago, is pardoned; that girlfriend, Brenna, is deeply affected by a nasty custody battle and appalled by the release of her dad’s killer. Smoke Screen can be considered a multiple entendre since everyone is hidden by their own personal smoke screens. The big question is can all these people find redemption and learn that trust is still possible?

Brenna is probably the most embattled character and deserving of sympathy. She’s never really recovered from her father’s death and knowing that her relationship with Nate was the impetus for the murder. That emotional damage eventually led to a bad marriage and a custody battle and alcohol has become a crutch. Some will say that no “real” mother would let an addiction get in the way of caring for her children but that really isn’t true. ANY mother can be brought to her knees when life becomes nearly unendurable and perhaps only Nate can lift her up again. Nate, though, has his own battles to fight with the past while he and Brenna try to find the way back to each other.

I haven’t read anything by Ms. Blackstock before this one but I’m intrigued enough to want to try more. Now I just have to figure out where to begin 😉

Reviewed by Lelia Taylor, November 2019.

I hate to say it, because I really enjoyed Blackstock’s If I Run trilogy, but this was a disappointing read for me. And that’s a real shame, because I loved the premise of the story. I mean, what about that tag line? One father murdered, another convicted of his death, and all because their children fell in love. Talk about potential! There were some great spiritual themes running through the novel too, like forgiveness and clinging to God when the going gets rough, but for me, they were overshadowed by other weaknesses.

First of all, this story was much more family drama than it was suspense, so if you’re looking for something that will have you on the edge of your seat, this isn’t it. There is an element of mystery, as both the hero and his father claim to have been wrongly accused in the past and are determined to clear their names, but the conflict driving this novel was the situation between the heroine and her ex-husband. The mystery simply lingered in the background until everything else fell into place.

Secondly, these characters felt more like caricatures than real people. For example, the ex-husband was your typical selfish, arrogant, and ambitious father who doesn’t have time for his children unless they’re making him look good for his mayoral campaign, while the smoke-jumper hero was heroic in every possible sense of the word, but ever so humble about it. To be fair, both the hero and the heroine had their issues—they definitely weren’t perfect—but there was no subtlety or nuance to the way these different aspects were portrayed.

Which brings me to my final point: there was nothing subtle about this story whatsoever. I could see pretty much every plot point coming a mile off, either because it had been so thoroughly and blatantly foreshadowed or because it was simply the obvious direction for the story to go. And the kicker? When I finally learned why the heroine’s father had been murdered all those years ago, it really stretched credibility for me.

So no, I can’t really say I enjoyed this one, unfortunately, but it may be better suited to readers looking for some angsty family drama.

I have long enjoyed this bestselling author and this is no exception. Characters are defined well through conversations, prayers, and actions, and most are engaging and likable. I became invested in the primary characters and appreciated reading their alternating points of view. It seemed (in my opinion) to start slow, then it picked up until I didn’t want to put it down. I was able to solve the mysteries almost completely, yet the novel was still of great interest, including how family challenges resolve.

Nate and Brenna were each other’s teenage first love until the night that changed everything. Brenna’s father, Preacher Strickland, was murdered. Nate’s father, Roy, was convicted of killing Brenna’s father. Now, fourteen years later, Roy is pardoned and released from prison.

Brenna is divorced, and ex-husband Jack announces his candidacy for mayor. Jack’s father William is still calling the shots, demanding that Jack take the children to campaign functions and file for full custody. His father wants Jack to show himself as a devoted family man despite leaving Brenna for a younger woman. It wasn’t enough to lose her husband and home, work for barely enough to pay the bills, and not see her children on any weekends.

As Brenna’s stress and heartache rise, she becomes the kind of person she never wanted to. Her late father would be horrified if he knew his daughter drank even a little sip of alcohol. Now she drinks much of the time the children are away from her. She wants to be numb, to survive the long hours until they are back home and she has value to someone again. Her ex-father-in-law is wealthy enough to buy off any judge in the state, and she is terrified of losing the children.

Nate is lead Hotshot on his firefighting team, doing what he always wanted to and loving it. Injured in a major fire while rescuing a family from their woodland retreat, he has to take time off work, and goes to visit his family. His brother Drew lives across the street from Brenna, and now owns the bar where the dispute began that ended the preacher’s life. Nate hasn’t seen Brenna since shortly after the murder.

He goes to visit her; they are so different in some ways! He believes in the Lord now. He no longer drinks. Brenna believes God is punishing her, and drinks on weekends. Then Jack’s lawyer sees them out having dinner when Jack has the children and Brenna is very drunk. Nate is accused of setting a fire outside town, and Noah, her young son, is struggling to breath due to asthma and Jack’s inability to give proper breathing treatments.

Brenna’s feelings are portrayed well, especially as she drinks and worries about her children. Nate is transparent, especially when it comes to his feelings about his father and Brenna. The demonstration of his faith, his witnessing to Brenna in a role reversal, and their painfully honest faith discussions are memorable. Alcoholism is discussed with sensitivity and dignity. Grace and forgiveness are major topics for both families. The pages flew as I became invested in Nate, Brenna, and her children. While some of the outcomes were not a surprise, some were stunning. I highly recommend this novel to fans of this bestselling author and those who appreciate well-written Christian fiction, mystery, and drama.

From a thankful heart: I received a complimentary copy of this novel from CelebrateLit, a review was not required.

Heart wrenching
From the very beginning this novel grabbed my attention, pulled at my heart strings and didn't let go until the very end. I felt a real connection with both Nate and Brenna and it was if I could feel their emotions right along with them. They had both faced betrayal and disappointments and it was wonderful seeing them come to rely on each other to move forward. My heart just went out to poor Brenna who was facing the prospect of losing her children and you could empathize with her despair. One of the interesting themes of the book was looking at how sometimes tragedy and disappointments can lead you to a closer dependence on God; whilst alternatively it can lead an individual to question and turn away from God.
Overall this was a fabulous book and I can't wait to read more by this talented author.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

My first story by this author and definitely will not be my last. From start to finish this story held a lot of emotions, suspense and realistic characters that one can relate to. I would recommend this author to others and look forward to reading more of her stories.

This was my first Blackstock book and I loved it. The main characters were both very likeable and realistic. There were many secrets, twists, and turns, and I found it hard to put down.
Many thanks to Thomas Nelson Fiction and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Smoke Screen by Terri Blackstock is a marvellous Christian contemporary suspense that will have you glued from the start.
The novel revolves around old and new crimes as characters try to prove their innocence. As their worlds come tumbling down, it feels like even God is absent. “The best I could do was hang on and pray like mad. But I doubted God was listening to me anymore.” God never leaves us. He hears our prayers and He always answers them but in His way and in His timing. God sees our end from our beginning. It is only when we look back that we can see His hand on our lives.
Crises will either draw you towards God or propel you away as you feel abandoned. “I wanted to pray but I was still mad at God.” God can handle our emotions. He wants us to be truthful and to be real. “Where are You?... Why didn’t He fight for me?” God fights battles we may be unaware of.
When we know God, we can experience a peace no matter what life throws at us. “Mama ran on… a power that gave her a peace I couldn’t fathom.”
We all need our church family. In times of crisis they will lift us up and intercede for us even when we have no words. We need the support of prayer warriors. “Church. It was where I needed to be.”
There are the themes of revenge and forgiveness. Feelings of revenge will drag us down. Feelings of forgiveness lift us up and free us from our prisons.
There is the subject of alcoholism. When we lose ourselves in the bottom of a bottle, we will still have problems to face. We need to admit we have a problem and get help to beat our addiction. In times of crisis, it is far better to turn to God in prayer. Our circumstances may not change but our perspective will.
The tale is written in the first person from two alternating points of view. The reader becomes acquainted with the lead characters who are both realistic and easy to empathise with. I felt the novel was reminiscent of Romeo And Juliette at times.
Terri Blackstock has written another cracking suspense that consumed my every waking moment. It is a novel that is impossible to put down.
I received this book for free. A favourable review was not required and all views expressed are my own.